Music Appreciation Final Study Guide

Medieval Period Dates

1100-1450

Renaissance Period Dates

1450-1600

Baroque Period Dates

1600-1750

Classical Period Dates

1750-1820

Romantic Period Dates

1820-1900

The highness or lowness of sound

Pitch

In ragtime, the “ragged” off-beats

Syncopation

The pulse of the music

Beat

The speed of the beats

Tempo

Loudness or softness of sounds

Dynamic level

A musical outline

Form

Sung without instruments

A capella

The quality of a musical sound

Timbre

Sounding of two or more pitches at the same time

Harmony

A series of pitches sounded one at a time that forms a musical idea

Melody

The primary music of the early church. It was monophonic, a cappella and sung in Latin.

Chant

The central worship service of the Roman Catholic Church.

Mass

An art form combining together music and the visual aspects of body movement, costumes and scenery

Ballet

A Renaissance type of music designed to be sung in the home or at social gatherings.

Madrigal

Lengthy sacred musical work for voices and orchestra

Oratorio

Multimovement work that contrasts a solo with an orchestra.

Solo concerto

Solo song in an opera, oratorio, or cantata

Aria

A style of singing found in opera, etc., that covers the text expressively

Recitative

A collection of dance pieces

Suite

A polyphonic keyboard composition with the main theme imitated in several parts.

Fugue

A work for orchestra, usually in four movements

Symphony

A group made of two violins, viola, and cello

String Quartets

Multimovement work that contrasts a small group of soloists with an orchestra

Concerto grosso

Literally meaning “to sound,” a multimovement work for one or more instruments

Sonata

A genre written for an ensemble to be performed in a small venue with one person per part.

Chamber music

Short keyboard work expressing a mood or idea

Character piece

Instrumental works that composers consciously associate with non-musical ideas

Program music

A conscious attempt to develop art works that are characteristic of a particular country or region

Nationalism

Works of art inspired by the distant past, particularly non-Western cultures.

Primitivism

Music that gives a hint of a subject rather than an exact representation.

Impressionism